Navigators Roll to 4-0 With 10-8 Win Over Brockton – Home Opener Without Fans

By Joshua Kummins

LYNN — The North Shore Navigators showed a flair for the dramatic yet again on Wednesday night, scoring four runs in the seventh inning and three more in the eighth to overcome a six-run deficit and defeat the Brockton Rox, 10-8, in a Futures Collegiate Baseball League game at Fraser Field. (Videos Below)

North Shore improved to 4-0 for the first time since the team’s 6-0 start to the 2013 season, while Brockton slipped to 1-2 with its second loss in as many nights.

The Navs logged seven runs and five of their 11 hits over the final two innings of the ballgame. Center fielder Sal Frelick (Boston College), right fielder Ben Malgeri (Northeastern) and third baseman Jake McElroy (Holy Cross) all logged two hits apiece. Frelick’s night included a two-run home run during North Shore’s four-run seventh frame and a run scored during the game-winning frame that followed, while McElroy drove in three runs.

The visitors started their offense in a hurry against North Shore starter Tom Chmielewski (Princeton) as four straight Rox reached base and helped to produce three runs. Following a hit batter and walk, third baseman Buddy Dewaine (Central Connecticut State) singled home the first run and scored himself on first baseman Joe Bramanti’s (Maine) two-run double over the head of Malgeri in right.

Left fielder Evan Sleight’s (Rutgers) sacrifice fly to left increased the Brockton lead to 4-0 in the second. Two innings later, designated hitter Andrew Marra (Georgetown) singled home a pair of two-out runs after center fielder Joel Lara (Franklin Pierce) drove in one three batters into the frame.

North Shore got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the fourth as first baseman Alex Brickman (Dayton) singled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on McElroy’s two-run single just inside the first base bag.

The Navs creeped a bit closer in the following frame after Malgeri doubled and Morissette singled to bring single runs home following Frelick’s infield knock with two outs.

Brockton got one run back in the sixth on Bramanti’s single, marking the North Andover native’s second hit and third RBI of the night to lead the offense.

The Navs really started on the comeback trail while batting around to score four runs on three hits in the seventh. After pinch hitter Logan Bravo (Harvard) hit a one-out single, Frelick lifted a two-run shot over right field to cut North Shore’s deficit to three runs. McElroy doubled the inning’s offensive output two batters after the Rox called for reliever Patrick Arter (Wheaton) over the bullpen with a sneaking two-run single through the second base hole.

Winthrop native Jack Wallace (Franklin Pierce) struck out the side in a 1-2-3 eighth before the Navs put together their game-winning inning.

After Ryan Cervone (Northeastern) drew a leadoff walk and Bravo struck out in the bottom of the eighth, Frelick was intentionally walked to set up Malgeri for a game-tying hit through the right side. Morissette reached on a chopper over the pitcher’s mound in the next at-bat before Brockton reliever Joey Walsh’s (Boston College) balk brought home an insurance run.

Beau Dana (Dickinson) earned his third save in as many chances for the Navs, working around a one-out hit batter to strike out two in the ninth. The Marblehead native remains the lone Futures League pitcher with multiple saves and also leads the circuit with eight strikeouts over three frames.

Cam Seguin (UMass Lowell) also struck out the side over a one-hit inning in his first appearance of the summer, while Max Meier (Stanford) fanned a pair two innings later. Wallace earned his first victory with the flawless eighth.

The Navs hit the road on Thursday to conclude a home-and-home set with Brockton. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. from Campanelli Stadium. There are no fans allowed at Futures League games played in Massachusetts due to COVID 19 restrictions.